THE GOSPEL OF MARK 2016

Jesus is the most famous man to ever live, as well as the most controversial even to this day. More books have been written about Him than anyone that has ever lived.

But who is Jesus? This is likely the most debated question in the history of the world. What did he do? What did he say? But most importantly, what do his words and actions mean?

If we are going to be able to answer these questions with any integrity, we need someone to tell us what truly happened when Jesus walked the earth.

That is exactly what we have in the gospel account of Mark. He compiled an eyewitness account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Mostly drawing the content from his friend and ministry companion the Apostle Peter (who walked with Jesus), we can confidently trust that Mark’s testimony is faithful and true.

We will be studying the gospel account of Mark to get a good grasp of who Jesus is and what it means for us.

Mark 6:53–7:1353 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore.54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

7 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders,4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,but their heart is far from me;7 in vain do they worship me,teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Mark 8:1-21 1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them,2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.”4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them.8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

Mark 8:22-31 22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Mark 8:31-3831 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Mark 9:30-3730 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know,31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Mark 10:1-12 1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Mark 10:17-3117 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Mark 10:17-31 32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Mark 11:12-2112 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.19 And when evening came they went out of the city.